Month: September 2015

Meg Whitman, the CEO of Hewlett Packard in an interview with CNN, said that “we learn more from our failures than from our successes” What a statement because many times we forget that challenges always have opportunities in them, but most times we don’t see them.

There are people who need to be pushed to take the next step for their lifting. I know of a brother who was able to build his own house because the Landlord gave him a quit notice to vacate the apartment he rented at that time.

Just recently, I met a former colleague who is now an employer of labour. He told me how he was asked to resign from his previous employment, and I said thank God you were asked to resign. I said that because, he is doing very well now. Today, he has people who are working for him. He is now an employer of labour and no longer an employee.

Take a look at the testimony of a sister in my church below;

“In May 2011, just 6 months into our marriage, I was afflicted with abnormal bleeding that lasted up till 2013. During this time of ordeal, I and my husband came across this commission in late 2012 and began to listen to the message and hook to every service. We started following all the instructions from this commission. During the in-gathering season in 2013, we engaged in soul winning, distributing the books of the Commission we have to people, encouraging and also sharing the word of God with them. People began mocking us that we were doing what we were doing out of frustration of barrenness. One day, while sharing the word of God with some colleagues at work during the break time, quoting Psalm 34:10 “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” Another colleague interrupted and asked “are children not good thing? Why then has God not given you one? At that moment I remembered the testimony of a sister that was mocked during soul winning and God blessed her the same month, then I said to myself, my time has come. In June 16, 2013, Covenant Day of Vengeance, Papa declared in one of the services that someone will be confirmed pregnant this month; I grabbed it as if it is the first time I heard that prophecy. In July 2013, I was indeed confirmed pregnant and delivered a bouncing baby boy in February 2014″.

From the testimony above, it is clear that the sister refused to focus on the challenge of barrenness/mockery, but rather on the opportunity God presented to her to trust Him.

So next time you are faced with a challenge in your marriage/home, look out for the opportunities wrapped up in that challenge. There is always a way out of every situation only if we can trust God and look up, (Matthew 19:26). We are created to overcome, and we shall overcome indeed, (Romans 8:37). Remain ever blessed.

It is important for parents to know that it is our responsibility to set the sense of direction for which our children will go before they are adults. No matter how smart a child is, he/she is still a child, so it is important we start early to show them care , love and very importantly proper “home training”. Please start early to introduce them to things that will be of immense help to their lives and by extension your lives too.

Back in our days in school, our teachers were more concerned about noise in the classroom and lateness. Today teachers are more concerned about drug addiction, sexual immorality, cultism and violence among pupils. Times have really changed.

Please remember that the child you over pamper today will temper with your future tomorrow, and by extension the society’s peace.

God.
Introduce your child early to our Lord, so as to shape their lives appropriately. Remember that the bible says “Train up a child the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it, (Proverbs 22:6). Make it a point of duty to take them to church any time you are going to church as much as possible. Let them learn to read the bible early enough

Study.
It is important to let the children know the importance of studying both their school books and other materials to help in developing their reading culture and their brain. Please be very careful with things like cartoons and television. You must set limits for cartoons and television.

Love and care
Let the children know the importance of love and care for others around them including; parents, school mates, church members and others. This is most effective, if you as parents lead by example by showing love and care to your child and others as well

Discipline
I must acknowledge that times have changed. We live in a new dispensation, so the methods and ways of making sure that a child has a proper “home training” may have changed but the TRUTH has not changed. Parents must take personal responsibility to set standards for their children. Please don’t leave the discipline of your children to domestic staff. Remember that domestic staff come and go, but you are always there with your children. Be wise.

House chores and personal hygiene
We live in a world of rights and no responsibilities. A child should know that in addition to his/her rights, he/she has some responsibilities as well. Please start early to let a child take some responsibilities. My son knows that immediately after eating he should take the plates to the kitchen. Things like clearing the table, putting your shoes in the appropriate place, doing the dishes, cooking and washing goes a long way, depending on the age of the child. Please start early before it’s too late.

Greeting and courtesy:
A child should learn to greet and also imbibe little but very important courtesies like; please, thank you, and others. Remain ever blessed.

2. She was a university student – GREAT IFE
while he was only a Polytechnic student in
Kwara Poly (Remember the discrimination) – she could have snubbed him – but she responded.

3. His friends complained that he was
carrying Christianity too zealously as if he
was the only Christian – she became zealous
too.

4. He took her to church in 1976 and made
her sign an agreement (SAILING UNDER
SEALED ORDERS) to marry and follow him whether he becomes blind, lame or
handicapped serving God… she signed.

5. Just before he married her, he told her
God had sent him to LIBERATE THE World (while he was still hopping between jobs)
and went on to resign his job; his elder
brother lambasted him, she stuck to him.
6. He told her God had shown him the key
to prosperity – she believed.

7. He told her they would build a 50,000
capacity tent and preach the gospel from
private jets – she believed her dreamer lover.

8. He was too ‘buoyant’ to afford a hotel
room on his wedding eve, he slept in his
rickety Volkswagen beetle – she married
him.

9. During a moment of insane faith, he
ordered a mad man to be put in his car
alone with her while she was pregnant; she
remained.

10. She saw she was dripping blood while
pregnant and explained to him that she had
a miscarriage, he shouted “It CANNOT
Happen, can I have my food please” – she
served him food.

11. She just had their first baby and there was no food or money at home. He refused to borrow or ask or take from church money and they were drinking/eating “CERELAC Baby food’ for 3 days – she ate with him.

12. She came to church one day and saw
him so excited with few members while
waiting for service to start; he explained to
her that service was actually over – she
laughed.

13. People kept praying for her and her
husband as they seemed to be crazy and
needed deliverance-she kept faith.

14. He announced a new Bible school and
she knew there was no facility; she asked
him and he replied “Is it your school”? She
kept quiet.

BUT SHE DIDN’T KNOW…

15. She didn’t know they were going to be
flying in customized jets round the world.

16. She didn’t know he would pastor and
she, co-pastor the largest church auditorium in the world.

17. She didn’t know he would be a father to millions all over the world.

18. She didn’t know he would be hosted by
Presidents and Heads of States of nations.

19. She didn’t know he would be a
Chancellor and Pioneer of one of the best
Private Universities in the world…..and
others.

20. She woke up one day on her sick bed in the USA and unexpectedly saw her hubby who had flown in quietly from Nigeria and had refused to wake her up…..he was kneeling on the floor by her legs and crying ‘Lord, heal her and prove that you sent me”- She got healed miraculously…more than once!
All she saw was a Man with A BIG GOD
inside him.

21. She said to her husband ‘Honey,we need to change the school of this children’. The school is no longer what it used to be.
Parents are complaining and they aren’t
doing anything about it. Her husband
Bishop David Oyedepo responded: Why?
No! She never altered a word after that. She went back to God on her kneels in Prayers.
She prayed: God touch the heart of your son who is my husband. You alone understand this present situation. Let him see reasons with what I am saying. Not up to a day,her husband the Bishop said to her: Honey,that reminds me.
You made mention of we changing the children’s school,how far have
you gone with it? This was a man that said why? earlier on. She never argued with him but rather went back to her God. Her name is FAITH: Pastor (Mrs) Faith Oyedepo.

Somebody said that “your success is limited by your imagination”. No wonder the bible says that as a man thinketh in his heart so he is (proverb 23:7).
So your life is controlled by your thought. God also speaking in Genesis 11:6 “and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” So in reality you can’t go beyond your thinking.

My father in the Lord Bishop David Oyedepo said that “you can’t feature in the future you can’t picture in the scriptures”. You need to see it before you can have. I knew years before I got married that I was going to have a peaceful and loving home.

Zig Ziglar said “what you picture in your mind, your mind will go to work to accomplish. When you change your pictures, you automatically change your performance”

So many times you hear people including believers say that marriage is full of troubles? Some even go to the extent of calling it a necessary evil. How then do you expect to enjoy marital bliss if it’s full of troubles or evil? Apostle Paul admonished us to think positively in Philippians 4:8;
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”

It’s clear from the above, that the mentality of the believer in marriage should be positive. Anything short of that often leads to disaster. Let us look at how John Mason captured the story of David and Goliath in his book titled “An Enemy Called Average;

“The brothers looked at the obstacle and figured that it was too big to hit, but David looked at the obstacle and figured it was too big to miss”

If you are not married, start thinking about lovely marriage/home, but if you are married and are going through challenges, I encourage you to change your thinking, because if you change your thinking, you change your marriage for good. What you think, is what leads to your actions, and your actions leads to your attitude, which eventually is you. Remember the very powerful charge given to us in Joshua 1:8;

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou shall mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success”

Do you know that Joseph was a prosperous man even in the house of Potiphar (Genesis 39v2)? So it was not being a Prime Minister that made Joseph prosperous. He was already prosperous before he became a Prime Minister. So your marriage is already successful, only if you can see it and work it out just like Joseph did concerning his destiny.

I read a book titled Think Big by Dr. Ben Carson, and he said that “God has given to every one of us over 14 billion cells and connections in our brain”. What are you using your own to think about; positive or negative thoughts

Just a couple of days ago, I was meditating on why some marriages are not peaceful and successful as they should be. God opened my eyes to see that we need to imbibe the team spirit in our marriages. No wonder the bible says that two shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). This simply means that they will become a team. In every team sport, there are no individual losers or winners. If we take football for instance, if a striker scores 3 goals, while the defender lets in more goals, it then means that the team has lost the game. The striker can’t be claiming victory because he scored 3 goals.

So in marriage one of the things we need to do and continue to do in order to have super successful marriage is to imbibe team spirit into our marriages. That means there is no individual loser or winner. The husband and wife must understand that we lose and win together as a team. We have situations, where the man and the woman are in a competition on who will out do each in front of the children. This is not right. We must have a common goal and vision for the family. We must support each other in every way and anyway. We must see ourselves as major stakeholders in every aspect of our marriages/homes.

It baffles me to see men who have never entered the kitchen for once, or worse still have never attempted given the children a bath. If you ask him, he claim that’s not my job, but the woman is also working full time. On the other hand, I have seen women who earn far above their husbands, but will never let go of the money they earn. I just wonder where and when they will spend their money. Please remember we will not be spending earthly currency in heaven.

One day I heard on the radio that a woman built a house and rented the same house to her husband through a third party. What a world. In any case, I didn’t say much, because I didn’t hear the woman’s side of the story. You know “it takes two to tangle”. Please go in there and put in your best. Remember if either the man or the woman is not putting in his/her best, it’s like having 50% of the team not doing well. The bible says in Amos 3:3 “can two work together, except they be agreed”.

I will like to share a personal experience with you. My boy was about two years old when we disengaged our nanny, so we were left on our own. My wife does normal 8 to 5 full time job, while I am self-employed. She leaves home for work much earlier than I do. So in the morning I give my boy bath, prepare him and take him to school. My wife picks him up from school after work and goes through his “home work” with him. This is what we have been doing in the past 3 years, and it’s working like “magic”. What is that? It is the power of team work. We see ourselves as major stakeholders in every aspect of our lives.

In a 21st century world we live now, we must support our spouses, especially the women. In our own part of the world, the woman is under so much pressure, and so needs all the supports she can get from the husband.
Helen Keller said;

“Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much”

Henry Ford also said;

“Coming together is the beginning
Staying together is progress
Working together is success”.We must support and work with each other in our marriages/homes for us to be successful.

I had an encounter with God on March 1st, 2015 in Ilorin Kwara state, North-Central Nigeria. I went for the wedding of one of my beloved church members, and as I entered my hotel room, God spoke to me saying, “The Gospel of Marriage”. I said wow! “The Gospel of Marriage”? He said yes. In that brief encounter, God re-affirmed that marriage is gospel, which means good news. No wonder the bible says that “whoso ever findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord”, (Proverbs 18:22).

Also the bible says that “marriage is honourable in all” (Hebrew 13:4). So God’s plan and purpose for our marriage is intended for our good. God in performing the first marriage said it is not good for a man to be alone, I will make him a help meet for him (Genesis 2:18).

So why do we have in our midst many strange and discomforting marriages? Why is the divorce rate all over the world rising? It is simply because the love of many has waxed cold (Matthew 24:12), but as believers, we have goodly heritage, (Psalm 16:6). There are people today who enjoy super peaceful, loving and successful marriages.

It is important not to allow the devil to sow a seed of deceit in you to make you believe that every marriage is the same and so are suffering.

The intention of this blog is to help those who are enjoying their marriages to enjoy it better, and help others who are not to turn back and fulfil their God ordained purpose and plan for their marriages. Please come along with me as we embark on this journey because it is my conviction that God has ordained every believer to enjoy his/her marriage. (1 Peter 2:9).

At the moment, I am reading a book titled “Releasing your Potentials” by Dr. Miles Munroe, and look at what he said;
“Over the years, I have come to realise that no excuse can be given to justify the destruction of the seed of potential that God placed within you. You can be the man or woman you were born to be. You can accomplish the vision you saw. You can build that business you planned. You can develop that school you imagine. You are the only one who can stop you”.

I will boldly add to that to say that you can build the marriage/home you desire, by taking personal responsibility. It’s up to you.